Improvement in sewing-machines



z Shee tsS heet 1.

L. DuLANEY. SEWING-MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 9,1875.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHCGRAFKER, WASHINGTON, 0. C.

. ZSheets-SheetZ. G. L. DuLANEY. SEWING-MACHINE. INQ 169,68Z. Patented Nov 9,-1875.

l/IIIIIIIIII Effa.

ga W19 PATENT @FFroa GEORGE L. DU LANEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

V Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 69.682, dated November 9, 1875; application filed June 2, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. DU LANEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a vertical side view or elevation of the machine, with a portion of the boxcovering removed or broken away, showing a cross-section of the spool-case holder. Fig. 2 is an elevated cross-section or end view of the machine, showing the feeding mechanism,

a portion of the disk being broken away for that purpose, and the relative positions of the spoohcase holder and looping-hook. Fig. 3 shows a top view of the head of the machine, with a portion of the main arm and needlearm broken away, showing a horizontal central view through the tension device and adjusting-levers. Fig. 4 isa birds-eye view of the spool-case holder and looping devices. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central view of the needle enlarged. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are detail views of the several parts.

The nature of my improvements relate more particularly to the means and arrangement of parts for imparting to the needle and looping-hook, relatively to each other, a differen- B is secured to the bed-plate A by means of a large screw, which passes through the central portionnof the bed-plate and enters the base of theaarm. The needle-arm O is secured to the main arm by means of a screw I formed with the journal-bearing in the usual manner. The box is made in two parts, and of such size and shape as to conform to that of the open end of the bed-plate A, and

has one side or half secured to the bed-plate by means of screws. The other side is secured in position by means of ajoint or hinge, which is supplied to the rear of the parts, thus providing a convenient means of access to the working parts within the box. The

cloth-plate F is also made in two parts, and

journal above and one below the line of the main shaft, said independent journals being severally provided with cranks and crankpins 3 3, which pins severally engage the radial slots in the main disks 1 and 2, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6. These disks are so placed upon their shaft E that their slots radiate in the same direction; and as one short shaft, H, is below the shaft E, and the other, H, is below said shaft, it follows that when the crank-pin, which works in the slot or groove of disk 1, is moving away from the axis of shaft E, and, therefore, causing an accelerated rising movement of the needle, the crank-pin of H is moving in its slot of disk 2 toward the axis of shaft E, and, therefore, causing a gradually-retarding movement of the looper, thus producing an alternate variable \i-locity to said independent journals. By this means the needle is withdrawn from the fabric with an accelerated movement, while that of the looping-hook is retarded, and vice versa. In this way the chafing of the thread against the needle, which would otherwise occur, is entirely obviated. The thread is also, by means of this variable motion, carried back over the heel of the spoolcase, and out of the way of the point of the needle in its next descent, by the increased motion of the hook, after the needle has been e of stitch, at the will of the operator.

withdrawn from the fabric, and is in its turn retarded in its downward movement;

The journal H, which has-its bearingin the end of the hanger b, is provided with an cecentric, 14, which actuates the needle-bar O by means of the connecting-rod J. The journal H, which passes throughitheend ot' the hanger a, is provided with a disk, 0, which carries on its crank-pin the looping-hook P. As it retates, the lower end of the hook, being provldcd wit-h a screw and bearing, is supported and guided in its upward and downward movement by means ot' the slotted hangers, which hanger is secured to the lower end of the stationary hanger a, as shown.

The feed-dog L is formed of a single piece of metal, and its upwardhalf "iscurved in the dog L at or near, its center, which receives,

the bent end of the pendent lever e,-the lower end of which bears against, and is actuated by, the eccentric 10as it is rotated. The let ter 4 indicates an adjustable elbow-shaped slide-fulcrum, against which the pendent lever plays, at any given point, as itis; adjusted upward or downward to give the desired length Theletter a indicates a bracket, secured by means of screws to the hanger a, beneath which the slide-fulcrum plays. A yieldingpressure may be provided beneaththe slide .by means of a spring. (Not shown in the drawings.) The 'upper end. of the bracket u is provided with'a horizontal .projection, which extends at right angles across the feed-dog L, at or near its middle, such projection serving to support the feed-dog ,adjustably in position. cures a proper bearing of the feed-dogand lever against the eccentric 10.

The spool-case holder is formed of two-pieces of metal, and of such shape as is hereinafter described. The main portion of the concaved holder G, which forms the support ,for the outer jaw, is secured to the bed-plate a, in positionrelative to the needle and hook, by means of screws, which pass through the flange provided to the back of the holder for that purpose. (See Fig. 1.) The jaw d is formed from sheet-steel, in proper shape, and

receives its properforin by being compressed in a die of suitable shape, and is secured in position by means of a screw, it, to the rearof thestandard portion G. The jaw 01 is extended backward, as shown in Fig. 4, to a point beyond that traversed by the point of the hook which controls the loop of thread,

A spring se-.

as the latter is carried over and back of the spool to a point where the, loop is released from the-hook, as'shown.

By reference to the illustration it will be seen-that the backward projection of the jaw 61 is extended across the path of the hook at such an angle as will cause the loop of thread, as it is carried upward by the hook, to glide along the inclined edge of the jaw 61 to a point out of the way and beyond the path traversed by the hook in its passage around the spool-case holder, thus precluding the possibility of the hook engaging the loop of thread left at the heel of the spool-case, in

case the hook fails to take the thread at the eye ot the needle in the next succeeding stitch. The shield j, which is applied to the rear of the jaw d, as shown by the dotted lines, serves as an additional protection to the thread.

The spool-case M is made of hard rubber, and in its construction a rib or shoulder'is formed at the conical part of its point, on the inside,.to prevent the spool wedging in the cone, andis further providedwith a threadguard, 12, the rear end of which guard pro jects backward to a point that will bring it in such proximity to that of the inside projection of thespool-case holder aswill prevent theloop of thread falling back and underneath the spool -case holder after being released from the looping-hook P. The guard is-also continued upward to a point that will admit of its entering the aperture between the inner and outer jaws ot'the spool-case holder Gr, thus serving to keepthe spool-case holder and thread-guard in proper position,..and, at the same time, providi'nga ready means of adjusting more or less tension on the under thread by passing the thread more or-less times around the guard. The spool-caseis securedin position by means of the latch ,4.

The presser-t'oot I isprovided with a slot,

8, of V shape, at itsrearend, as shown, Fig.

7, which shape corresponds to that of the end of the ba-rN, on which is mounted'a s'olidly-fixed washer, .13, and :an adjusting-nut, K. By this means a more perfect and ready adjustment is'had, and any slack by wear or otherwise is readily taken up, which cannot be done when the sides of the slotare parallel to each other, as is the case in all other devices ot'a similarnature, as used heretofore, and for such parallel slot 1 make no claim. The foot I ,is secured in positionby being passed back on the end of the bar N, and between the-washe'r 13 and the nut K, the latter being then set down tightly upon the fOOl, thus securing it in position.

The peculiarity of my improved needle consists in providing the same with a shouldergroove, 2t 22. This construction insures a moreperfect and positive loop being formed in the thread immediately opposite the shout der in the bottom of the groove. The shoulder causes the thread to be thrown ofl from the needle just at the point where the hook entersthe loop :formed in the thread by the withdrawal of the needle from the fabric, as shown in Fig. 5. By extendingthe groove above the shoulder, a ready means of protecting the thread against undue friction is provided, and the thread is thus allowed much more freedom of action than with needles as ordinarily constructed.

-My improved tension device is constructed in the following; manner: The disk 0 is formed of a circular piece of metal of any suitable diameter, the hub of which projects out suffi- 'ciently to admit of a' ready and convenient means of turningthe disk with. the thumb and finger when threading the needle. The tension wheel or disk is secured to the hanger V, which is suspended beneath the main arm, by a screw formed with a journal-bearing, under the head of which is formed, in the disk, a cavity for the reception of a yielding pad or packing, against which the head of the screw is set down sufficiently to prevent any backward action of the disk during the backward motion of the clutch m m. The rim of the disk is formed with a feather-edge or bevelflange, which, in conjunction with the metallic ringo 0, which is pressedover the shoulder of the disk, forms a weclgersliaped channel around its circumference, which. channel receives and feeds off the thread as the disk is rotated. On the back face of the disk is formed an annular groove, that receives the bent end of the gripe-lever m m, which lever, by the vibrating action of the needle-bar O and litter z, causes the disk to rotate and feed oif the thread with the proper degree of tension to the needle. 7 f

The length of stroke imparted to the feedlever by the needle-bar is graduated in the following manner: To the main arm B is secured, by means of the "screw 15, the adjusting-lever 3, to which is pivoted, by means of the fulcrum-screw 14, the graduatinglever 40. This lever engages, at its slotted end, with the stud or spur carried on the end of the yoke S, which is connected rigidly to the presser-bar N. At the opposite end of the lever 40 projects transversely a horizontal stud or spur, X, on which the clutch-lever m rests at any given point to which it is adjusted. Thus it will be observed that in the same proportion as the presserbar N is effected upward or downward by the varying thickness of goods passing beneath the foot is the graduating-lever 40 and spur X effected; consequently, more or less motion is imparted to the clutch m and disk 0 by the needle-bar (J,-

which causes more or less thread to be fed off to the needle to suit any thickness of goods. The degree of tension is fixed by adjusting the lever 3, which changes the relative position of the lever 40 -up or down, to suit any length of stitch or thickness of goods. Once adjusted, iio other changes are required, no matter how varied or irregular the thickness of goods.

The spring m serves to keep the lever m in contact with the edges of the annular groove when being actuated by the barC. Two" small disks, 5, are provided at the end of the hee trolling, by a gently yielding pressure, the' slack thread about the eye of the needle.

Figs. ll, 12, 13, and 14 show the parts 3, 40,

8, and mm detached.

A novel device is provided for producing what I'call the ornamental cable-stitch, and also the common chain-stitch, which is as follows: On the upper front edge of thejaw d, and just in advance of the path of the needle, is formed a nick, together with a small point, '7, which coact, in the formation of the loop, with the slotted thread-guard g, as hereinafter described.

The guard g is blanked from sheet-steel in the ordinary way, and is, in its construction, provided with a thumb-like projection, 6, extending out from the main body of the guard. The guard is secured adjustably, by means of a screw and pin, to the top face of the spoolcase holder G, in such position as, when in action, to engage and retain-the thread in loop form on the points-6 and 7, as shown in Fig. 4, as it is carried by the hook aroundthe spoolcase.

By this means the loop which has been formed in the thread is held at rest in such position as will insure the needle entering the same in its next descent, said loop being drawn up by the hook at the next succeeding stitch, and at the same time interlacing it with the under thread, thus forming the ornamental cablestitch. The chain-stitch is made in the same way after removingthe under thread from the spool-case. The thread-guard g is brought into action only when these two kinds of stitches are made, the guard being withdrawn, when the lock-stitch is being made, to the position shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4.

I claim as follows:

- l. The combination, with the main shaft E, and with the needle-operating mechanism and a looper, of the disks 1 and 2, provided with radial slots, the cranks and crank-pins 3 .3, the shaft H above the shaft E, and the shaft H below it, or on the opposite side, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The spool-case holder G, constructed as described, and provided with the jaw d, having a thread projection, 7, located on its upper edge at a point slightly in advance of the path of the needle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The shield or guard j, in combination with the jaw 01, as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the hard-rubber spool-case M, the spool-guard l2, constructed with the rearward extension, as shown, and applied to the spool-case, and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A sewing-machine needle provided with a shoulder-groove, 21 '22, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

"The :couibinationgfor joint "operation, of

the-following -devices,-viz: 'the tension-wheel O,'ring O 0, lever on m, spring m lifter 'z, spur w,.adjusting-iever 3, graduating-lever 40, and yokeSQthese' parts being constructed substantially as shown and-set forth.

. 7. In a sewing-machine, the=combination, with a thread-tension device adapted to feed out automatically the quantity of thread for a stitch, andzwith the needle, of the disks 5, when used'for controlling the slack thread above the eye of the needle, as and for the purpose specified.

8. The adjustable slotted thread-guardg, in combination with the jaw d, provided with the A. ZELLAS. 

